The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-18


AS the centhnnial celebration of the settle
ment Of Ohio approaches, the people of the
Buckeye State are counting up the debts
that they owe to other States and nations
for the bone, sinew and brain that have made
Ohio what she is. 1t is not surprising that
New England, in this reckoning, gets more
than usual share of credit. 1t is.a long time
since New Englanders have gone to Ohio in
any numbers to find homes or fortunes For
years they have gone by to Iowa, Kansas.
Nebraska, Montana. California, to all the
great far West, where by the hundreds they
have become absorbed into new common
wealths. But there were times when Ohio
was as near the setting sun as even their
bold spirits cared to venture. Marietta, the
county seat of Washington county in the
southeastern part of the State, will be first
In order with its special commemoration on
the seventh Of April, 1888. Already its peo-
pie are looking up their ancestry, and the
records OF the deeds of General r. Putnam
and his New England associates, who first
settled the little college town in the Mus
kingum valley Other towns and cities of
Ohio are congratulating Marietta for being
exceptionally happy in the number of able
and exemplary men among the pioneers"
and are recalling the fact that Washington
and some OF the adjacent counties have al
ways maintained a moral and educational
supremacy over certain other counties popu-
lated from the South, which is because ''the
New England emigrants had been better
drilled in schools and in church before they
left their native States" 1t was the poverty
Whiab fOllouund fba 41,.+
many Of these settlers to the new lands of
Ohio. The Cincinnati Commercials
recalls one interesting illustration: Joseph
Gilman, of New Hampshire, had impover-
ished himself in his country's behalf during
the Revolutionary war. He had more than
once advanced money to the empty treasury,
which was not repaid. he was merchant,
and found himself upon the verge of bank
ruptcy. In those days failure in business
meant eonfscation of the debtors property
almost to the clothes on his back, and his
own Imprisonment. He was an honest man,
and felt that If he tcould only have time
and fair chance he would be able
to pay everything. So he quietly packed
up all his movablss His wife. a
woman of great tact, suddenly recollect-
ed that she owed great many calls
and declared her intention of discharging
all her social obligations. So when she and
her husband disappeared one night in 17ss,
her old friends perceived that she had left
the proper farewells. Gilman went to Mar
eta. prospered justified his fight by paying
all his eastern creditors in full. and died with
the title of United States Judge Of the North
west Territory. To Gilman ana other New
Englanders whose advents to Ohio were less |
romantic ohioans are now paying deserving
tributes. In those days, as in these, these
Yankees were very shrewd. The explorer
Jane told the founpers Of the Marietta colo
ny thot the best land in the territory Law be-
tween the Miamis westwards towards the
site Of Cincinnati In their over-shrewdness |
they thought the woodsman wanted to turn |
them away from the Muskingum district, |
their first selected site, and SO concluded not /
to believe him. The rich region around Gin |
clnnati fell to men from New Jersey and /
Pennsylvania, while the New Englanders
kept the least productive portion of the
State. Yet to this day they are looked up to /
In Ohio; and as the centennial of their set
Element approaches, this tribute is paid them. /
that 1.-THE southeast corner continues a /
choice reservoir TO draw from. Washington |
county emgrants are welcome everywhere |
and all confess that however poor its soil |
NAV be IL il fruitful in pnod and usaf,i MAJ, -